Toyota Does An About Face On Black Box Data After It Points To Driver Error

Toyota Motor Corp.  has argued for years that the electronic black boxes in its vehicles used unproven technology that could not be relied upon to determine the cause of accidents.

Now, facing continued claims that its vehicles are defective, Toyota appears to have done an about-face.

The Japanese automaker has been citing data from black boxes in Toyota and Lexus vehicles to suggest that driver error, rather than mechanical or electronic defects, is causing sudden acceleration.



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truckman - 7/30/2010 3:12:40 PM

+4 Boost

The whole sudden acceleration would show up on the black box as if the accelerator was pushed, even if it wasn't, so it would prove nothing.

camrydriver - 7/30/2010 4:24:47 PM

+2 Boost

truckman, of course you are spot on. Tha is why toyota said that they couldnt be trusted. Now toyota wants to use them when it is in their interest to protect them from paying their victims. Toyota and the black boxes have something in common...they can't be trusted.

I95SPEEDINGTICKETS - 7/30/2010 8:55:16 PM

+5 Boost

But the fact that the black box has no record of the Brakes being applied would prove the Driver/s were lying about standing on the Brake Pedal and the vehicle still accelerated.

91z4me - 7/30/2010 9:54:22 PM

0 Boost

I95, unless the black box and computer ignore brake pedal input in these 'sudden acceleration' incidents.

Pure speculation, but then again unless you are in the car when these happen, everything is.

dodgedart - 7/31/2010 10:55:24 AM

+4 Boost

I'm no rocket surgeon but it's unlikely that both the brake and accelerator sensors would fail simultaneously. Audi could have used black boxes to put that sudden acceleration thing to rest a lot faster way back when.
If the black box could talk it would say 1d10t error. Pedal choice error. Undesireable owner. It's not an engineering problem unfortunately.

enthusiastx11 - 7/31/2010 2:35:30 PM

0 Boost

nice. so information is reliable only when it suits toyota's purposes. that's integrity for you.